Apparatus for making basket covers



June 22, 1943.

O. M. JAMES APPARATUS FOR MAKING BASKET Filed Dec. 5, 1939 COVERS 4 Sheets-Sheet l June 22, 1943. o. M. JAMES I APPARATUS FOR MAKING BASKET COVERS Filed Dec. 5, 1939 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 June 22, 1943. o. M. JAMES APPARATUS FOR MAKING BASKET C OVER S Filed De c. 5, 1959 June 22, 1943. o. M. JAME 2,322,363

APPARATUS FOR MAKING BASKET COVERS Filed Dec. 5, 1939 '4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented June 22, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE APPARATUS FOR, MAKING BASKET COVERS Oliver Matthew James, Americus, Ga., assignor to Dayton Veneer & Lumber Mills, Dayton, Tenn, a corporation of Tennessee Application December 5, 1939, Serial No. 307,552

6 Claims.

patent Serial No. 275,969, filed May 26, 1939, and

Serial No. 276,748, filed May 31, 1939, and the invention has special reference to a method of and apparatus for making such basket covers.

In my patent applications referred to, methods and apparatus for forming the basket covers are disclosed wherein the cover mats, previously trimmed to circular shape, are provided with the grooved rim members. Although covers made in accordance with the inventions of these copending applications, and the methods and apparatus therein described, have proven satisfactory in practice, it has been found that certain method steps, and the apparatus for carrying out such steps, may be combined, thus simplifying the making of the covers and resulting in a more uniform and satisfactory product, and it is to improvements in method and apparatus that the present invention is directed.

Hence, the invention contemplates a method and apparatus for making basket covers of the type referred to, wherein the .cover mat blank is bulged to crowned shape and sheared, while thus bulged, to circular form, and then, while still in bulged condition, assembled in the rim mem-;

her, all in a substantially continuous operation, whereby much handling of the cover parts is obviated and a more satisfactory product obtained, as will be explained hereinafter more fully and finally claimed.

It will be understood that although several forms of apparatus are herein disclosed, allof which are capable of performing the method steps in a satisfactory and efficient manner, other appropriate apparatus capable of performing the method may be devised in accordance with the broad concept of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings illustrating the invention, in the several figures of which like parts are similarly designated,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of one embodiment of apparatus in accordance with the invention.

Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation taken upon the axis of the plunger and associated means.

Figs. 3, 4, 5 and 6 are semi-diagrammatic fragmentary sectional elevations similar to Fig. 2 and illustrating progressive steps in the forming of a cover.

Fig. 7 is a plan view of a cover mat blank suitable for use in the practice of the invention.

Fig. 8 is an axial sectional elevation of a modified form of apparatus.

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary view taken on the line 9-9 of Fig. 8 and showing the ring member and guiding standards.

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary sectional elevation illustrating the embodiment in the apparatus of means for positioning and affixing the customary handle slat, and

Fig. 11 is an enlarged perspective view of a basket cover produced in accordance with the invention.

Referring particularly to Figs. '7 and 11, it will be seen that the cover mat a may comprise a plurality of similar strips of wood veneer b arranged in appropriate superposed crossed relaperipheral edge in engagement with the internal groove or bead d of a trim member e, preferably formed of a strip of metal of a cross section appropriate to provide the groove or bead d and a curled bearing edge f, the ends of the strip being fixedly united by spot welds a or the like. After assembly of the mat a and rim member e, the

usual handle slat h is afiixed by staples i or the like, either in the apparatus of the invention, as will be explained, or as an operation apart therefrom, and the fastening loops 7' are also applied.

It will be understood, in View of the nature and form of the rim member e, that when the bulged or crowned cover mat is assembled therein its crowned form will be maintained and it cannot escape from the rim member due to the nature of its engagement with the groove or bead d. It

will be appreciated, also that due to the fact that the cover mat blank a is sheared to circular form while in bulged condition its peripheral edge will be a true circle proper for close engagement throughout its extent with the annular groove or bead d of the rim member and, moreover, substantially the same degree or extent of bulge or crown will be present in the finished cover as is produced in the mat at the time of shearing to circular form.

The form of apparatus illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, and constituting the basis for the semi-diagrammatic showing of Figs. 3, 4, 5 and 6, includes a stand I having bearing brackets 2 forming slide bearings 3 for a reciprocative shaft 4 connected by a lever 5 and link 6 with reciprocation-imparting means including a pin I carried by a gear 8..

This gear is driven through a pinion 9 carried by a shaft to which rotation may be imparted by a pulley II and belt IE, or other appropriate gearing from an electric motor or other suitable source of power, not shown.

Fixed upon the end of the shaft 4 is a plunger [3 having a convex face l4 providing a means for bulging the cover mat blank, and supported upon the shaft 4 by a sliding'collar I is a ring member IS, the ring member being connected with the collar l5 by bracket arms I! or the like which may also serve to carry an indexing or supporting member l8 for properly positioning the cover mat blank a between the plunger 4 and ring member [6. The outer peripheral leading edge IQ of the plunger I3 and the normally adjacent inner peripheral edge of the ring member l6 provide a shears for shearing the bulged cover mat blank to circular form, as will be explained hereinafter more in detail.

In an appropriate bracket 2|, suitably spaced from the retracted plunger l3 and ring member 16, is preferably fixedly carried a rim holding member or head 22 having a concave face 23 substantially complemental to the convex face M of the plunger and provided with a peripheral wall 24 for appropriately holding and positioning the rim member e, the outer surfaces 25 of the wall 24 being formed for cooperative centering engage.- ment with the leading edge 26 of the ring member I 6, these two surfaces referably being in the form of complemental chamfers. Moreover, the ring member l6 may be provided with a rabbet 2'! to accommodate the rolled edge I of the rim member e.

It will be apparent that the axis of the plunger may be arranged horizontally, as shown in Figs. 1 to 6, or vertically, as desired. And the modified form of apparatus illustrated in Figs. 8 and 9 shows apparatus having the latter characteristic.

In this modification the plunger l3, ring member l6 and head 22 are positioned in axial alignment by guide standards 28 with which they cooperate by means of ears 29, the standards 28 having appropriate supporting bearings in a base 30.

The plunger l 3' and ring member [6' are axially reciprocative upon the standards 28 and are thus movable relatively to each other and to the head 22, and any appropriate means such as cam or lever mechanism or a steam, air or hydraulic cylinder (not shown) may be provided for imparting reciprocative movement to the plunger I 3' and therethrough to the ring member I6. the latter being held normally separated from the head 22 by compression springs 3|.

If desired, as indicated in Figs. 8 and 10, means for positioning and applying the handle slat h to the cover may be incorporated as an adjunct of the apparatus and operated following completion of assembly of the cover mat and rim member. These means may include a diametrically arranged groove or recess 32 in the concave face of the head and stapling mechanism 33 of appropriate type preferably designed to simultaneously drive two staples each adjacent to the ends of the handle slat h, as indicated at i, Fig, 11. It will be understood that, where the stapling mechanism is combined with the apparatus, the convex face of the plunger 13 or I3 will serve as an upsetting or clinching anvil for the staples.

Referring now to Figs. 3 to 5, illustrating the typical mode of operation of apparatus whereby the method steps may be performed, it will be seen that when the plunger l3 and ring member l6 are fully retracted, Fig. 4, sufiicient space is provided between them, by virtue of the manner of support of the ring member, to permit insertion between them of a cover mat blank a such as that shown in Fig. 7, preferably in such position that one of its corners, say that at an end of the diagonal strip, rests upon the indexing support 18, thus ensuring location of its center substantially in axial alignment with the axis of the shaft 4, plunger I3, ring member l6 and head 22. As the plunger I3 is advanced toward the blank (1, it will cause the blank to engage the rear edge of the ring member [6 and will force the ring member along until its leading edge seats upon the annular wall 24 of the head 22, the chamfered surfaces 25 and 26 of these parts correctly relatively centering them and enclosing and supporting the rim member e already positioned within the wall 24. Further advance of the plunger l3 will progressively bulge or crown the blank a, Figs. 4 and 5, and when advance of the plunger reaches the shearing position, Fig. 5, its continued movement will cause the shears formed by the edges l9 and 20 of the plunger and ring member, respectively, to shear the blank to circular cover mat form while it is held in bulged condition, and then, while the bulge or crown is still maintained, move it into such position, Fig. 6, with respect to the groove or bead d of the rim member that its peripheral edge will snap into the groove or bead, thus completing assembly of the cover mat and rim member.

Upon retraction of the plunger 13 and ring member Hi from the head 22, the peripheral edge of the mat will firmly seat in the groove or bead dof the rim member, and the cover thus produced may be removed from the head 22, and the handle slat h and fastening loops 7' thereafter applied by separate operations.

If, however, the head 22 or 22 is provided with stapling mechanism, Figs. 8 and 10, a handle slat h will be slipped into the groove or recess 32, preferably before the completion of travel of the plunger and ring member, and when the parts are in the position illustrated in Fig. 6 the stapling means may be actuated, either by automatic means (not shown) timed to movement of the plunger, or manually, to cause them to drive the handle slat attaching staples z and clinch them against theanvil provided by the convex face M of the plunger. The essential characteristics of operation of the modified form of apparatus shown in Figs. 8 and 9 will, it is believed, be apparent from the foregoing taken in connection with the description of this modification.

Various changes and modifications are considered to be within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the following claims.

What I claim is:

1. Apparatus for forming a crowned basket cover including as cooperative assembled parts a circular cover mat of flexible material such as wood veneer and a rim element having an annular recess to receive the edge of the mat, said apparatus including means for removably holding said rim element, ring means complemental to said holding means, a plunger, and means for imparting guided axial movement of said ring means, and plunger relatively to each other and to said holding means, said plunger and ring means being capable of receiving between them a cover mat blank, and being provided with complemental shearing means and operable upon relative movement to shear said blank to circular form to produce the cover mat, said plunger provided with means for bulging said blank and the cover mat produced therefrom, and serving to force the bulged mat, after shearing, axially through said ring means and into position for engagement of its peripheral edge with the annular recess of said rim element.

2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, in which the rim holding means. and ring means are provided with complemental surfaces engageable to maintain them in axial and annular alignment.

3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, in which the ring means and rim holding means provide, when engaged, a cylinder for maintaining the sheared cover mat in bulged condition during its projection into alignment with the recess of said rim member.

4. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, in which the ring means are associated with a support for appropriately centering a cover mat relatively to the ring means and plunger.

5. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, in which the complemental shearing means of the ring means and plunger are in the form of annular shearing edges upon the outer periphery of the plunger and the inner periphery of the ring member, respectively.

6. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, in which the ring means are normally resiliently held in spaced relation from the rim holding means.

OLIVER MATTHEW JAMES. 

